Jason Bourne

It’s interesting to note that the further we go into the Jason Bourne movie series the further and further we get from writer Robert Ludlum‘s original creation. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as the movies have been entertaining, but although there’s certainly a lot to like about the latest entry into the franchise that swaps Jeremy Renner for Matt Damon, it’s no doubt the weakest movie delivered so far.

The Bourne Legacy spends an awfully long time (most of the film’s first half-hour) trying to make the film’s events fit into the storylines of the second and third Bourne films. That means we start out when a surprising amount of exposition and a barrage of quick cuts (seriously, at times this movie feels like it was edited by George Lucas on speed). The result is far from as seamless as I’d like. This also means we have to wait quite a long time to see Renner in action (unless you count the clips where he’s channeling Liam Neeson‘s character from The Grey).

Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) returns for a third entry picking up right where The Bourne Supremacy ended. Bourne gets himself out of Russia and goes after those responsible for Treadstone looking for answers and revenge for Marie’s (Franka Potente) death. The film is filled with amazing stunts, and yet another great car chase, this time through the streets of New York City. For more on the plot and review of the film check out my original review.

I liked, but was slightly disappointed with, The Bourne Ultimatum as I feel it was a small step backward from the second film. Still, it’s a fun ride and with the extras offered here it’s an easy recommendation to make and a nice addition to anyone’s collection. Also worth noting, if you don’t already have the first two films in the series, Universal is putting out “The Jason Bourne Collection” – a four-disc set filled with all the extras, complete with a Jason Bourne passport, and housed in a safety deposit box tin.

When I heard the words above in the trailer chills went up my spine. I enjoyed The Bourne Identity (read December’s review) but I was blown away by the second installment The Bourne Supremacy. So here was the sequel I was waiting for all summer. The result was a good, though slightly disappointing, film that is still better than most of the sequels this year.

We begin, seconds after Jason Bourne’s (Matt Damon) survival in the tunnel, with his escape from Russian police. The final scene from The Bourne Supremacy, the phone conversation between Bourne and Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) is later expertly woven into the main plot of this film. From there we move to the shadowy government forces still attempting to track Bourne down and hide the dirty secrets which are locked in his brain. Both Allen and Julia Stiles return, and although Stiles is given a larger (and somewhat continuity-questionable) role, Allen is demoted into the lone good guy in a room full of snakes who will do whatever it takes to keep their dirty little secrets hidden.

Part 2 of the “Bourne Trilogy”, Bourne Supremacy, brings us to Marie and Jason hiding out under new identities. Jason is having regular nightmares and keeps a journal under Marie’s tutorage to find out whom he is and what happened in his past that got him where he is at now. He is finished with being a CIA assassin and had warned the agency’s flunkies to not come after him or they would be sorry.

Guess who shows up at his front door, that’s right an assassin coming to frame him for a whole new conspiracy. In the mix of running and trying to elude the murderer, Marie is killed and Jason heads out on a vow of vengeance. Stopping every ruined and corrupt CIA operative and those who follow, Jason ducks in and out of the shadows and attacks like a stealthy predator. While on his revenge trip, he keeps up with the dreams and remembering his past, coming to realize some truth to what had happened, he confront his demons. Never finding out till the end what his true name is, Jason is still in disbelief if it’s the truth.

“I can tell you the license plate numbers of all six cars outside. I can tell you that our waitress is left handed and the guy up at the counter weighs 215 lbs. and knows how to handle himself. I know the best place to look for a gun is the cab of the gray truck outside, and at this altitude I can run flat out for a half-mile before my hands start shaking. Now why would I know that? How can I know that and not know who I am?”

The Bourne Identity starts out with a bang, or rather a splash. Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is found a drift in the Mediterranean Sea with only 2 bullet wounds and an implant with a Swiss bank account number. Jason awakes a little off kilter not sure of his surroundings or his own identity. When the ship comes ashore the doc gives him a few bucks and a warm coat then sends him along his confused and amnesiac way. Bourne heads to Zurich to find out what is in the safe-deposit box, is it his identity? Nope, there are multiple passports, a gun and plenty of money in different currencies. At this point he doesn’t know where to turn, until he is forced to run being chased by a secret ops agency that claims to have trained Bourne and know his true identity. Using fighting skills he didn’t know he had, Bourne works his way through the streets of Zurich only to be cornered and offering $20,000 for a ride to Paris with the lovely Marie (Franka Potente). Reluctant at first, Marie turns him down, but realizes she could really use the cash and accepts the offer. Waking in Paris with an uneasy feeling Marie ends up caught up in the search for Bourne’s identity and his heart. The two duck and hide escaping one assassin after another searching for the answer.